Star Wars Saga Edition Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
It is a dark time for the galaxy. The Empire is in complete control and the last of the Jedi are nothing but a faint memory. Yet as the Emperor tightens his grip on the galaxy, the Rebel Alliance grows stronger, drawing more systems to its cause. The conflict between the Rebels and the Empire is at the center of the Rebellion era, and now your heroes have the chance to make their mark on the Galactic Civil War like never before. The Rebellion Era Main Article: The Rebellion Era The Rebellion Era Campaign Guide focuses on roleplaying in the classic era of Star Wars. The Rebellion Era is depicted in the original Star Wars trilogy, which tells the tale of Luke Skywalker joining The Rebel Alliance and bringing down The Galactic Empire. Possibly the most iconic era in the saga's history, The Rebellion Era teems with themes and and individual aspects that even casual Star Wars fans recognize instantly. Setting a game in The Rebellion Era means playing in a time of great heroes such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa, battling the same enemies that they fought, and struggling with the same dangers that they faced. A Rebellion Era Campaign differs from other campaigns in a variety of ways. Although it shares a common enemy with The Dark Times (The Empire), The Rebellion Era does not pit the heroes against the entire galaxy without some help. Instead, it allows them to be a part of something greater than themselves. That said, they likely face greater dangers than do heroes of a Dark Times Campaign. The Death Stars are but two of the Empire's superweapons, developed as part of the Tarkin Doctrine to strike fear into the hearts of its enemies. In addition, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine have an iron grip on the galaxy, and they have swayed (Some would say brainwashed) much of its leadership into accepting and enforcing Palpatine's New Order. The Rebellion Era Campaign Guide assumes that the heroes belong to The Rebel Alliance, either at the onset of the campaign or shortly after it begins. Of course, many options exist for play in The Rebellion Era, and other Reference Books in the Saga Edition line cover other types of campaigns.This book describes life in the Alliance, hiding and fighting the Empire. The heroes of such a campaign perform as many great deeds as heroes such as Han Solo and Princess Leia, and make their own difference in the struggles of the Rebellion. Over the course of a campaign, the heroes fight the Empire, rise to prominence, and help free the galaxy from the clutches of tyranny. Of course, not every hero begins his or her career with The Rebel Alliance. Like Han Solo, heroes in a Rebellion Era Campaign might start out as everyday citizens, smugglers, or even Imperial soldiers. However, they are drawn inexorably closer to the Rebellion with each passing adventure. Even if the heroes never join the Alliance officially, it is highly likely that they will become entangled in the conflict with the Empire. Heroic Traits Main Article: Heroic Traits For the heroes of The Rebellion Era, fighting against The Galactic Empire means putting their lives- and the lives of their loved ones- on the line, risking everything to oppose a tyrannical government. Heroes in a Rebellion Era Campaign are among the most iconic in all Star Wars lore. Han Solo is the prototypical Scoundrel; Princess Leia is the model for the Noble. They are great heroes not only because they fight against a powerful enemy, but also because they put everything at risk, enduring great triumphs and horrific tragedies to free the galaxy from the oppression of Emperor Palpatine. The heroes of a Rebellion Era Campaign often are ordinary citizens who go above and beyond the call of duty to fight the Empire. Although some of these heroes might come from respected families or have prominent histories, many heroes of The Rebel Alliance are simply average folks who have decided that they can no longer live in complacency. Indeed, one of the most interesting aspects of Rebellion Era heroes is that many lead mundane lives as cogs in the Imperial machine until something spurs them to strike back against the Empire. They undergo a metamorphosis that most players can understand, transitioning from everyday members of society to people whose actions shake the foundations of the galaxy. Unlike heroes in The Dark Times, heroes of The Rebellion Era have the support of other like-minded residents of the galaxy. The Rebel Alliance forms a touchstone around which beings of all walks of life can rally. Indeed, its very existence shows that even the most ordinary of people can come together and achieve amazing results. The Alliance (And other resistance groups not directly affiliated with the Rebellion) gives heroes a place to obtain information and support, share their knowledge and experiences, and reaffirm their dedication to the fight against the Empire. Backgrounds Main Article: Backgrounds Every hero has to come from somewhere. Heroes don't all begin as Rebel agents, adventuring smugglers, or daring explorers. For most players, a simple history for their heroes will suffice, but other players might want to choose details in their characters' pasts that will help shape their futures. After all, the heroes are more than just members of a particular Species or the sum of their training; they have defining elements in their histories that molded them into what they will become. The Background system presented here is an alternative to the Destiny system described in the Saga Edition Core Rulebook. The Background system allows you to focus on a hero's origins rather than on an uncertain future. Gamemasters can use either the Background system or the Destiny system, giving players a choice of selecting a Background or selecting a Destiny. It is not recommended to use both systems together because adding another layer to the characters will affect hero complexity and party balance. To use the Background system, each player chooses a single Background from the Event category, the Occupation category, or the Planet of Origin category. Each category has its own rules giving special access to Skills, Languages, Equipment, or other traits that help define who the character is and what shaped them into a hero. A character receives the benefits of the chosen Background at 1st level, and those benefits stay with the character for life. For details on the benefits gained from each Background, see their individual description. Prestige Classes Main Article: Prestige Classes Prestige Classes enable characters to specialize, gaining new Talents and abilities unattainable to other Heroic Classes. These classes allow players to develop their characters around specific concepts, roles, or character types. Prestige Classes are optional, and the Gamemaster has the final say on which ones, if any, are allowed in the campaign. The Prestige Classes presented here enhance Rebellion Era Campaigns, but they can be used in any Era of Play. All the new Prestige Classes described in this chapter are suitable for player or Gamemaster use. To qualify for a Prestige Class, a character must meet all the class's prerequisites. The players and Gamemaster should work together to generate adventures and storylines that allow players to take these classes. Equipment and Droids Main Article: Equipment and Droids War breeds technological innovations, a rule that held true during the Clone Wars and that continues to be borne out by the Galactic Civil War. However, by the time of the Rebellion, the Empire has not yet recovered from the economic and military exhaustion of the Clone Wars, nor has the Empire encouraged independent companies to develop new ideas. In many cases, those most willing to innovate are the ones who have the fewest resources and the least safety with which to do so. While the Empire focuses on mammoth superweapons designed to strike fear into the populace, the Alliance turns to new uses of older technologies as a matter of survival. Rogues and honest beings alike must carefully consider the consequences of developing new technology and wonder who might come to claim it. This chapter presents new Weapons, Equipment, and Droids that are available for use by anyone in The Rebellion Era. Other chapters in this book present items that are used primarily by The Rebel Alliance (The Rebel Alliance), The Galactic Empire (The Empire), and The Fringe (Fringe Factions). Vehicles and Starships Main Article: Vehicles and Starships The Empire manages to control the galaxy in large part by controlling the supply of military vessels. The constructions of capital-class ships outside of Empire-approved shipyards declined massively in the years leading up to the Battle of Yavin, and only a limited number of independent shipyards retain the capacity to build such craft. As the Alliance grows and strengthens, it focuses more attention on maintaining and expanding its fleet, but throughout The Rebellion Era, its large warships remain too precious to risk on anything other than major strategic targets. As a result, the construction of smaller ships increases, as shipyards try to maintain profits and independent groups seek whatever vessels they can purchase. One advantage of smaller ships it that they are likely to be overlooked by Imperial forces that view Capital Ships as major threats. In addition, although the Empire has outlawed the ownership of armed freighters or Starfighters in many Core Worlds, enforcement of this rule has a lower priority than locating Rebel bases or protecting Imperial interests. Even the Empire accepts that law-abiding citizens who live far from civilization might require armed vessels to protect themselves and their cargo; on fringe worlds, anything short of a frigate is unlikely to draw much attention. The Vehicles and Starships presented in this chapter, many of which were designed and built prior to the end of the Clone Wars, represent the types of vessels available to private citizens during the Galactic Civil War. The Rebellion and major organizations (Such as The Zann Consortium) sometimes develop unique vehicle designs to suit their needs, but most groups outside the Empire must make do with whatever generic vessels are available. The Vehicles and Starships in this chapter are in the hands of pirates, smugglers, planetary defense forces, large cartels or corporations, and small organizations preparing to fight against the growing tyranny of the New Order. Other chapters in this book present Vehicles and Starships that are used primarily by The Rebel Alliance (The Rebel Alliance), The Galactic Empire (The Empire), and The Fringe (Fringe Factions). Rebellion Era Campaigns Main Article: Rebellion Era Campaigns In any society, citizens rely on the government for security: laws to define civilized behavior, officials to enforce those laws, punishments for those who break those laws, and so on. The sacrifice of some beings' freedoms for the safety and security of all seems to many during The Rebellion Era to be a reasonable exchange. However, a few beings know that power, corruption, and oppression go hand in hand, and those beings oppose tyranny through acts of sabotage or open rebellion. The heroes in a Rebellion Era Campaign can fight for either side of the conflict- The Galactic Empire or The Rebel Alliance- or even act on behalf of fringe elements such as smugglers and pirates. Heroes can be upstanding Imperial citizens lending their aid against the Rebellion, or they can be freedom-loving Rebels working to bring down the Emperor. Whichever side the players choose, The Rebellion Era is rife with possibilities and pitfalls, opportunities and obstacles, and nobility and villainy. The Rebel Alliance Main Article: The Rebel Alliance Affiliation Page: The Rebel Alliance The Rebel Alliance is a ray of hope in the blackness of The Dark Times. Outmanned and outgunned, the fighters of the Alliance risk their lives in the effort to free the galaxy from Emperor Palpatine's iron grip. Some Rebels fight for their homeworlds, some fight for their families, and some fight for ideals, but all fight the evils of tyranny. In many ways, The Rebel Alliance defines the Star Wars universe. It represents the ultimate battle between good and evil, light and dark. The Empire Main Article: The Empire Affiliation Page: The Galactic Empire Fringe Factions Main Article: Fringe Factions ''Affiliation Page: The Fringe'' __NOEDITSECTION__ __NEWSECTIONLINK__